The Wooing of Andy McNally
by snapple79
Summary: Sam tries to win Andy back when she returns from the taskforce. Post S3.
1. Chapter 1

This story was inspired by Sam's speech at the end of 3x13 about him doing everything and Andy not having to do a thing (which you'll see below, in case you haven't seen the episode or have forgotten the speech). It's all about Sam winning Andy back after she returns from the taskforce. I realize there probably needs to be wooing from both of them once she gets back, not just Sam, but for this story it's all about Sam wooing Andy. I might do a sequel that has Andy wooing Sam...we'll see. But for now, enjoy! And please review. :) I promise updates will come quickly!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**The Wooing of Andy McNally**

_"You don't have to do anything. I'm gonna do it all. I'm going to do everything, okay?  
__I'm going to show you every single day until you say yes. I'm gonna make you dinner.  
__I'm gonna take out your garbage. I'm gonna walk your dog." ~ Sam  
__"I don't have a dog." ~ Andy  
__"Then let's get a dog, a labradoodle, a mutt from the pound, I don't care.  
__Let's bring him home and call him Boo. Boo Radley. I've always loved that name for a dog." ~Sam  
__"Okay, look...Can we just start with a drink? Just a drink?  
__Please. Andy, just give me a chance. I'll be at The Penny." ~ Sam_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Sam was going to keep to his promise. He was going to fight for her, show her every single day that he was sorry. He'd given her some time when she got back from the taskforce, wanting to not overwhelm her and give her time to adjust back to real life. The night of the takedown they'd spoken for a short time in an empty office at the station, each of them apologizing for probably more than the other could ever realize. But it didn't fix everything, so, he'd given her time. She'd taken a few days off and had been back at work for two days before he decided it was time to set his plan into action. It was time to show her he meant what he said.

He waited outside the locker rooms, his nerves making him jump every time he saw another female officer come out. Finally, the door opened and she appeared. He pushed himself off the wall and matched her stride for stride as she walked down the hall toward the exit.

"Let me cook you dinner tonight," he offered, looking over at her.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I told you. I'm fighting for us until you say yes."

She pressed her lips together to fight off the smile, but Sam saw the corner of her lips curve up ever so slightly. "You think pretty highly of your cooking."

"I can recall a few occasions where you thought I should be rewarded for my cooking skills," he replied, smirking.

Andy blushed as he referred to the many times a trail of clothes had been left from the kitchen to her bedroom - or his - as she thanked him for cooking for her. "Fine. I don't really have anything in my fridge anyway," she said, pretending to be put out to have dinner with him, but the smile on her face told him otherwise. She knew he had waited for her while she was undercover on the taskforce, but she still couldn't allow herself to fully trust him again yet. But she wanted to, and maybe dinner was the first step.

She followed him to his truck. It felt so familiar, to hop in his truck and have him take her home. Andy thought back to the last time they'd done this, eight months ago. She wondered if all that time had changed them, if the taskforce had changed her, if being a detective had changed him. Change wasn't entirely a bad thing, she imagined, knowing that even if they tried to blame Jerry's death for their breakup, there was a lot more to it than that. There were things they each needed to change and work on if there could ever be a 'them' again.

She looked over at Sam as he drove them to his apartment. He caught her eye as he glanced over at her and wondered when she'd gotten over her allergy to silence. The more she remained quiet, the more he needed to hear her voice. "How's it been being back?" he finally asked.

"It's good. I missed it. Missed my friends."

"It's not always easy to fit back into life after being undercover so long," he said, speaking from experience.

"Yeah, well, they've already had me see the shrink, so..." She wasn't really having a problem getting back to her life. It was more that she felt like she'd missed so much in all her friend's lives and didn't know how to catch up. They'd all welcomed her and Nick back immediately, but there were constantly conversations where neither of them knew what their friends were talking about.

"Sometimes the shrink isn't who you want to talk to. Look, I'm just saying...I've been there, so I'm here if you need someone to listen, to talk...to just be there," he offered.

Andy gave him a small nod and smile as they pulled up to his apartment. There had been a million times while she was undercover when she wanted to ask Sam for his advice or have him reassure her when she was nervous, but of course, that hadn't been allowed. He wasn't part of the taskforce, hadn't been her handler, so she couldn't seek him out for help. And now that she was back, she just wanted to put the taskforce behind her.

They walked into his apartment and Andy followed him with her eyes as he threw his keys on the table near the door before walking around to turn lights on. "Make yourself at home," he said, nodding toward the couch.

Instead of heading to the living room, she followed him into the kitchen. "Can I help?"

"Nope," he replied, popping the 'p.' He rummaged around his fridge before pulling out a bottle of Andy's favorite wine. He grabbed a wine glass and placed both on the counter next to Andy, as he went back to the fridge to grab himself a beer.

"I didn't think you drank wine," she said, wondering why he had this in his fridge.

"I don't," he said as he began rustling around with ingredients. "But you do."

She couldn't help but smile and lifted herself onto the counter before popping open the wine. "What are you cooking?"

"It's a surprise."

"And you're not going to let me help?"

"Nope."

Andy sipped some wine and let the silence take over the room for a few minutes.

"How was the taskforce?" he asked, as she watched him marinate pieces of chicken.

"It was...interesting."

"Interesting? That's all? You helped take down one of the city's largest drug traffickers. Pretty impressive," he praised.

"Yeah. Six months is a long time though. I guess I never imagined it would take that long...that I'd be leaving my life for that long." Truthfully, when she said yes to Luke, she never thought about the timeframe. Never thought if it would be six weeks, six months or years. If she had known how long-term it was, she's not sure she would've agreed. Then again, the way she was feeling that day, it might not have mattered. But today, six months later, it mattered.

"That's the life of undercover. You never know if it's going to be two weeks or two years," he said.

"I didn't know I'd be going undercover." Sam remained quiet, but she saw the questioning look in his eyes when he looked over at her. "When I pleaded for Luke to let me be part of the taskforce, I thought I'd be spending time at headquarters, planning out operations, maybe doing some undercover work down the road. I never thought it would mean disappearing _that_ night."

"Did you want to go undercover?" he asked, his eyes now focused on the food he was preparing.

"No. Yes." She shook her head, not really knowing the answer. No one had ever asked. "I just wanted to be part of something big. I wanted…I wanted to lose myself in something else for a while. But undercover work _is_ fun. I can see why you like it so much."

"Liked," he said, emphasizing the past tense. "Not much opportunity for it as a detective."

"Aren't you gonna miss it?" she asked, watching him put dinner in the oven.

"I did it for a long time. It's not a priority anymore." He leaned back against the counter and stared across the kitchen at her. He wanted her to see his face, to see how much he meant it.

"Why did you become a detective?" she asked. It was something she'd been wondering since she first saw him at the takedown in jeans and a t-shirt.

"Frank asked me, said Callaghan was leaving again and we needed another body to help with all the casework. He wanted someone familiar with 15 Division, someone who already knew the ins and outs of our family...and who they were replacing." Sam let out a sigh thinking about Jerry. "I never really thought about being a detective, but it was an interesting opportunity and...and I thought it might help with us too."

"I'm gonna miss being out on the streets with you," she admitted.

"You're a good cop, you'll do fine without me," he said as he started to put together a salad.

"I was taught by the best." She smiled when he threw a glace her way. "But I'm not worried about that. It's just, I'm gonna miss partnering with you." It was true. No matter what they ended up being in their personal life, he had been her professional partner for most of the three years she was on the job. No matter what, she was most comfortable and confident when partnered with him.

Sam closed his eyes as she repeated her words. He wasn't good expressing feelings, but he knew if he were ever to win Andy back he was going to have to learn. "I'm gonna miss it too." His voice was gravelly and wavered a bit, and he quickly took a drink of his beer to wet his throat. "Just trust your instincts and make sure your partner has your back."

Andy hopped off the counter when Sam grabbed some plates, so she could help him set the table. She gently hip-checked him as he walked back toward the stove. "Any partner I have knows they'll face your wrath, so..." She smirked at him and didn't even have to finish the thought to see the acknowledgement in his face.

Wanting to change the subject, Sam nodded toward the table. "Have a seat. Dinner's pretty much ready."

When he didn't deny her comment, Andy realized in that moment that despite six months of her being gone, his feelings hadn't changed. Now she just had to figure out if hers had.

By the time Sam brought the food to the table, the atmosphere in the room had changed and they'd unknowingly agreed to table any heavy discussion for the evening.

More than two hours later, Andy insisted on helping Sam clean up despite his protests. "You cooked this wonderful meal. I'm not sticking you with the dishes. And that's final," she said, as she turned on the water in the sink.

"You're my guest, you're not doing the dishes," he said, reaching around her to shut off the water. Andy was trapped between Sam and the counter, and his warm breath on her ear made her shiver. She hadn't had that type of reaction from anyone in eight months, and it scared her.

Bringing herself out of the Sam-induced haze she'd fallen into, she reached over and turned the faucet back on. "Yes, I am," she said, turning her head. She hadn't realized Sam was still that close to her and she had to tilt her head back so as to not hit his chin.

Sam knew what he was doing the moment he reached around her. He could have argued with her without turning the water off, but then that wouldn't have resulted in him seeing her reaction to him being so close. Smirking on the inside, he watched the passion float through her eyes before he stepped back an inch to give her a little space…just a little though. "I'll make a deal. I'll wash, you dry."

Andy swallowed and tried to find her voice, realizing maybe she wasn't quite out of that Sam-induced haze yet. She simple nodded and moved to the side so Sam could stand in front of the sink. She picked up a dish towel lying on the counter and waited for Sam to hand her the first dish.

They washed and dried the dishes in silence. Andy thought about all the feelings Sam conjured up in her. If they had been normal, if this had been just any other night they spent together, she knew there'd be dirty dishes lying in the sink, while they shed their clothes on the way to his bed. But sex wasn't the answer to fixing, or figuring out, whatever they were, because god knows _that_ had never been one of their problems. It was the talking, the working things out, the opening up to each other emotionally that was what needed fixing.

Sam scrubbed the dishes harder than necessary and knew it was his own fault that he was going to need a long cold shower after this night was over. But, he refused to move too fast. The first time, they'd jumped into bed before even going on a date. This time, he was going to take it slow, wine and dine her, and show her how much she means to him before they found their way back to the bedroom.

When they finished the dishes, they stood facing each other, unsure of what to do next.

"So, I should probably take you home." He nervously shoved his hands in his pockets.

Andy wrung the dish towel in her hands. "Uh, yeah, yeah, probably should get home."

"Okay then." He stared at her, waiting for her to put the towel down, and quirked his eyebrows as she still gripped it and didn't move. Blushing she placed the towel next to the sink and let Sam usher her out of his apartment and to his truck, the hand at the small of her back only disappearing briefly as he locked his front door.

Andy fiddled with the radio, noticing he hadn't removed any of the presets she'd added more than a year ago, and they teased each other about music on the way to her condo. He walked her up to her condo and she pushed open the door, pausing in the doorway.

"Thank you again for dinner, Sam."

"Anytime."

She fidgeted with her keys, not knowing what to do next. They'd never done this. Whenever they'd gone out or stayed in, Sam would stay over at her place or she would stay over at his. What were they supposed to do now? She wanted to invite him in, but she also knew they had to do it differently this time. And she wasn't even sure what 'it' was.

"So..." She finally brought her eyes up to his and almost melted at how he was looking at her.

Sam brought his hand to the side of her face as he slowly closed the distance between them. His lips touched hers softly until she leaned into him to deepen the kiss. He missed this. He was stupid for pushing her away months ago, and the feel of her lips on his only strengthened his desire to fix this, to repair the damage he'd done. He pulled back, leaving Andy breathless as he rubbed his thumb gently across her cheek.

"See you tomorrow, McNally," he said, backing away with a grin on his face.

"Goodnight, Sam." She smiled at him, before walking into her condo. She closed the door and leaned back against it. Her head was trying to remind her how he broke up with her in the rain in a parking lot and how he'd treated her all those weeks after, but her heart was already opening up to let him back in.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! I'm amazed at the response to this story! I guess we're all in need of a little Sam & Andy romance. :) Thanks to everyone for all the alerts, favorites and reviews! I was grinning like a fool every time another review popped into my inbox. Hope you enjoy this chapter – it's kinda focused on Andy's state of mind and why she's hesitant to jump back into things with Sam – and don't forget to tell me what you think! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

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**Chapter 2**

Andy and Nick hadn't been partnered much since they returned from the taskforce – Frank saying something about them needing some time apart after six months together – but Frank was also on this big kick of everyone rotating partners, so today they were paired up again for the first half of a double shift she was working. Andy had been fairly quiet for the first hour they were on patrol, thinking about Sam, the night he cooked for her and how sweet he'd been lately.

"How are you and Swarek?" Nick asked, pretty confident what was on her mind. Sam had been on her mind for six months and he was a bit surprised that she seemed to be fighting her feelings for him since they'd returned.

She hesitated before looking over at him, wondering when he learned to read her so well. Somewhere in the process of learning each other's on-the-job moves, they'd simply learned how to read each other better than most of their other friends. "We're fine," she finally replied.

"Really?" He wasn't convinced.

"Yup," she said, popping the 'p.'

Nick pulled out a book he'd stuck in between the seats. "Okay, well, thought you might need this to replace the _Good Riddance_ book," he said, handing it over to her.

She turned it around in her hands so she could read the title. "Really? _Dating for Dummies_?" she asked, looking at him in mock indignation.

Nick chuckled at her response. "Well, you said you guys didn't know _how_ to date like a normal couple, so…there you go, a dating 101 guide."

"Funny," she deadpanned. She flipped through the book. "I can't believe they make a book like this _or_ that you actually bought it." She laughed when she found a certificate at the back of the book. "Oh. My. God. There's even a diploma for passing the final test."

"What's the final test?" he asked curiously.

"I'm not sure I want to know," she replied, laughing. Getting serious, she put the book down and looked over at Nick. "Do you think they'll ever forgive us for leaving?"

"I think he already has," Nick said without hesitation. "He cooked for you the other night, right?"

"Yeah."

"A guy doesn't just cook for anyone, no matter how good he is at it," he said. "From what I've seen, it seems like Swarek's already made his decision. You just have to make yours."

Andy pondered that for a moment and realized that Sam had basically told her the same thing when he said he'd fight for her until she said yes. "How are you and Gail?" she asked, wanting to get the conversation off of Sam for now.

"She's stubborn, wants to still hate me. And I deserve it for leaving again. But, I think we'll be okay," he replied.

"She'll turn around, Nick. She loves you. I can see it," she said.

Silence filled the cruiser as thoughts of Sam and Gail filled their heads.

It was Nick that finally spoke again. "We'll be okay, Andy. We will. Now start reading." Andy looked at him like he was ridiculous, but picked up the book anyway. "Anything in there about make-up buddies?"

She looked at him incredulously, but smiled. "Shut up," she said playfully.

* * *

Sam knew Andy was working a double shift and that she was going to need a pick-me-up to get through the day, so he made a quick stop on the way to the station. When he arrived, he stopped in the locker room briefly before heading to the break room, knowing she'd stop there before Parade. He set down the box he carried on one of the tables, along with two coffees. Flipping one of the chairs around, he straddled it and sipped one of the coffees while he waited.

Less than five minutes later, he watched Andy as she dragged her feet down the hallway and walked into the room. He caught her eye and nodded toward the box. She narrowed her eyes at the scene in front of her. "What's this?"

"Just thought you'd need something to get through the second shift," he said, opening the lid of the box.

She sat down next to him as her eyes went wide seeing what was in the box. "My favorites!" She was about to pull out one of the muffins, but instead went for the donut covered with strawberry frosting and sprinkles. "What?" she asked with a mouthful when Sam chuckled.

She took a sip of her coffee, closing her eyes and letting out a small moan when she found it just the way she liked it. She _really_needed this to get through the rest of the day. "Sam, thank you. You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to."

She let her eyes fall to the donut she held and tore off a small piece. "It's really sweet."

"All part of the Swarek charm," he said, winking.

"How'd you remember what I liked? It's been…a while." It had been eight months since they'd shared breakfast, or even a pastry together. It seemed like such a minor detail of someone's life that Andy was truly surprised he remembered that on most days she'd opt for a blueberry or chocolate chip muffin, but on those really rough days she'd go right for the strawberry frosted donut. Not knowing the type of day she was having, he'd gotten all three.

"Some things you can't forget," he said. The look in his eyes told her there was a lot more locked up in that head of his.

"We should get to Parade," she said after finishing off the donut. She grabbed her coffee and was standing up when Sam pushed the box with the remaining muffins toward her.

"Might want to hide this before Oliver spots it."

She laughed, but grabbed the box and ran back to the locker room before heading to Parade. When she walked in the room, she saw Traci and Sam at the back, and as much as she wanted to sit near them, it felt odd since they were with all the detectives. Instead, she pulled up a seat next to Chris and Dov, and listened to Frank's instructions for the day.

Halfway through shift, Andy and Chris brought in a suspect they arrested. After booking him and getting him in a cell, Andy asked Chris to give her a few minutes before they headed out again. On her way to get a strong cup of coffee to keep her awake, she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking and ran into a hard body. "Sorry," she mumbled, looking up to see Sam standing there.

"Everything okay?" he asked, placing a steadying hand on her arm.

"Yeah, just tired. This double shift is catching up with me," she admitted. If anyone else had asked her, she wouldn't have been so open. But this was Sam and she knew he could see right through any attempts at brushing off her exhaustion.

"Would you feel better being in the station for the rest of shift?" he asked, an idea popping into his head.

Andy sighed in happiness just thinking about not having to go back out on patrol. She liked being partnered with Chris, but she was finding it hard to stay alert as the motion of the car was making her feel sleepy. "I would love that, but I can't just not go back out on patrol."

"You can if I pull you out to help the detectives with a _very_important case." Without waiting for her response, he shouted down the hall to Chris. "Hey, Diaz! Head back out on patrol solo. I need McNally here to help with an investigation." Not questioning Sam, Chris nodded his head, smiling at Andy before heading toward the door.

"Okay, now about that case..." He turned to walk toward his office, but waited for Andy to follow.

She smiled at him, thankful that he was always looking out for her. "Thanks."

When they got to the detectives' office he pulled a chair from a nearby desk, placing it next to his, and motioned for her to sit. "Did you really need me for a case?" she asked, skeptical.

"I could use another set of eyes. I'm trying to connect these home invasions, but can't find the missing link." He pushed several files in front of her. "Maybe a fresh set of eyes will do me good." It wasn't a complete lie. He _had_ been thinking about asking for someone else to take a fresh look at this case. But, he also had to admit to himself that any reason to have her sitting next to him was a good one. And, any moment she spent with him was another moment he could use to win her back.

She looked up at him after glancing down at the files. "Are you just going to stare at me while I read through these?" she asked playfully.

"Just read the files," he replied, facing his computer to look through the crime database. Andy was pretty sure she saw him blush as he looked away.

After an hour of looking through case files, Andy decided she needed a break if she was going to keep her eyelids open for another minute. She pushed back her chair and told Sam she'd be right back. She headed to the locker room to retrieve the two muffins she'd hidden there that morning, and stopped at the coffee station on her way back to Sam's desk.

"I needed caffeine and I know you never pass up coffee, so..." She waved her hand toward the coffee she'd placed in front of him, and he watched as she plucked the chocolate chip muffin out of the box. "Do you want the other one?" she asked, pointing to the blueberry muffin she left.

"What did you do with McNally?" he teased, knowing she'd usually fight someone trying to take a baked good from her favorite bakery.

She rolled eyes as she knew what he was thinking. "I'm not _that_ bad." When he kept staring at her with a doubtful look on his face, she blew out a breath. "Fine, I am that bad. But you were sweet and I'm trying to be nice. Do you want it or not?"

Sam chuckled and grabbed the muffin. As she reached for one of the files she'd been reading, he stopped her with a gentle hand on her wrist. "You know, I pulled you off patrol so you'd have an easy afternoon. Not to work you harder."

"Oh, I thought, you know...I wanted to find the missing link for you...for helping me get through this day," she replied, biting her bottom lip.

"You can take a five-minute break without me cracking the whip to get you back to work," he said, smiling.

Andy leaned back in the chair, popping a piece of muffin into her mouth as she got comfortable. "I miss working with you every day."

"What, no one else have my easy going nature?" His question had Andy snorting. "What?"

"You? Easy going?" She laughed as he feigned heartbreak with a hand over his heart. "It's just, we, you know, work well together."

"That we do."

"So, I guess, uh, if I had to be assigned to the D's more often, I, you know, wouldn't complain." She shifted in her seat nervously and finished off the muffin.

"Good to know." His smirk went unnoticed by Andy, as her eyes were focused again on the file in front of her.

* * *

Andy was walking down the hall when Traci stopped her. "What's that all about?" Traci asked, motioning toward Sam, who was sitting at his desk.

"What's what?"

"You and Sam!"

"It's nothing. He needed some help with a case and I'm helping," Andy replied, trying to walk past her friend. She was stopped by Traci's extended arm. "What?" she asked, exasperated.

"You know what. I saw you gripping your favorite coffee this morning, and the box of baked goods from your favorite cafe didn't go unnoticed," Traci pointed out.

Andy rolled her eyes. "He's being nice, okay? He knew I had a double shift and thought it'd help me get through. Then he saw me practically sleep walking and saved me from going back out on patrol. He's just being sweet, nothing more."

"Nothing more huh? So, I'm totally wrong about all the flirting I saw going on." Traci had a knowing smile on her face because it was clear her friend couldn't deny it.

"Trace! Fine, there might've been some flirting going on. You can't tell me he doesn't look amazing in those jeans and t-shirt. I mean, he wore the uniform well, but seriously Trace, he's sitting inches away from me and all I want to do is put my hands all over him." Andy flung a hand over her face as she realized what she'd admitted.

"Gotcha!" Traci laughed, but put a comforting hand on Andy's shoulder. "This mean you and Swarek are back on?"

"I don't know," she replied, removing the hand covering her face.

"What's holding you back?"

"I'm scared," Andy replied. "I let him in completely once and he tore my heart to pieces. I...I just don't know if I can willingly put myself in a place to feel that again."

"Andy..."

Andy put her hand out, palm facing Traci, so she could finish. "No, I know he apologized. I apologized. But if I allow myself, the love I have for him is so strong, so deep...he's the only person I've ever met who has the power to totally and completely wreck me."

Traci knew it was hard for her to admit that, so she decided to offer something that might give her hope. "I'm pretty sure he feels the same way...about the love, about being wrecked. You might both be scared of the same thing."

Andy looked down the hall to where Sam was stretching in his chair before glancing down at her feet and giving Traci a smile nod. "Look, I should..." she waved down the hall in the direction she'd been heading before Traci stopped her. "Sam asked me to get something out of evidence, so I should go do that."

"Okay, you know where I am if you want to talk," she said, giving Andy's shoulder a quick squeeze. "Or better yet, talk to him."

Andy headed to the evidence room, thinking about what Traci had said. How could two people love each other so much that it hurt? How could they love each other so much they were scared to actually feel that love? Andy had no answers, but she wondered if Sam did.


	3. Chapter 3

I had intended to get this chapter up yesterday, but major computer problems delayed that. But my computer's back and quick updates will continue. :) Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting this story. Reviews get me so excited, so please continue letting me know what you think! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Chapter 3 **

Andy waved goodbye as Traci drove away, and she walked up to her condo. It had been such a busy day and she ended up leaving the station two hours after her shift was over, so she was thankful to finally be getting home. She opened the door to her condo and smelled them before she saw them. Dozens of flowers placed all over her condo. Every flat surface appeared to have flowers on it.

The majority of the flowers were tulips and lilies – her favorites – but daises, carnations, orchids and a bunch of other flowers she didn't recognize were also mixed in. She saw a note propped up against a vase sitting on the island in the kitchen, and putting down her work bag she walked over and picked up the folded piece of paper.

_Making up for all the times I should have given you flowers._

_Sam _

She smiled and plucked one of the tulips from the vase and brought it up to her nose. She loved flowers; they brightened up any room, lifted your mood, and were nature's natural air freshener. She spun slowly around, taking in all the flowers and shook her head in amazement. She couldn't believe Sam had done all this. When she was facing the counter again, she noticed a small box sitting next to the vase and eyed it suspiciously. She put down Sam's note and the tulip she held, and opened the box, her eyes staring at a familiar looking set of keys. She twirled the keys in her hand for a moment before putting them down and taking her phone out of her pocket. Hitting her speed dial, she waited for him to pick up.

"Hey. You home?" he asked as he answered her call.

"Did you rob a florist?" she teased.

"Too much?"

"I love it, thank you. They're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," he replied, without missing a beat. He knew she was blushing, but he would never stop telling her that.

She walked into the bedroom as they continued talking and she saw two more large vases, this time filled with pink and yellow roses.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why'd you get me all these flowers?"

"Like the note said, I'm making up for what I didn't do. It occurred to me in all the time we were together, I never gave you flowers and you deserve to be showered with them," he said.

"You didn't have to do this."

"I know. I wanted to."

"You got all my favorites." She remembered back to a conversation they had in the cruiser nearly two years ago. Luke had gotten her this huge bouquet and while it was beautiful, it didn't contain any of the favorite flowers she loved. It shouldn't have mattered, but it did, and as she vented about it to Sam, he had locked that information in the back of his brain somewhere. At the time, he only hoped one day he'd be able to put it to use.

"What's the point of getting someone flowers if they can't truly appreciate them?" he asked rhetorically.

"How'd you get them all in here?" she asked, as she began changing into her pajamas.

"Well, as much of an idiot I was for asking for my keys back, you never asked for yours, so...I still had it. Hope you don't mind that I used it."

"No, I wouldn't have given it to you if I didn't want you to use it. Although, I kind of forgot you had it and never imagined you'd be using it for this," she laughed.

"Speaking of..." Sam cleared his throat as he momentarily lost the ability to speak. "Did you, uh...did you see the box?"

Andy smiled at his obvious nervousness, but decided she wouldn't torture him with her silence. "I did."

"Okay. You know, I just thought you should hang on to them again. In case you need to use the truck or something." He knew it was a lame excuse, that nine times out of ten, she'd ask him to drive her somewhere versus asking to simply borrow his truck. But nonetheless, he wanted her to have his keys back and he thought placing them in a box next to the flowers would be less awkward than handing them over in person. Apparently, he forgot about the conversation he'd need to have to make sure she saw them there.

"You never know when you'll get locked out and have to call me to save the day," she teased, pulling him from his nervous thoughts. Getting more serious, she continued, "Thank you."

"Oh yeah, you're, uh, welcome."

She liked this side of Sam, seeing him nervous when it came to her. God knows, she'd been nervous enough times over the years for the both of them, but somehow him being nervous showed her how much he wanted this.

Andy inhaled deeply before she spoke. "These flowers smell wonderful, Sam. Thank you."

She laid down in bed and in her silence Sam could hear the rustling of clothes and sheets. "I should let you go. I imagine the crappy weather didn't make for an easy day today."

As tired as she was, she didn't want to stop hearing Sam's voice. "No. I mean, yeah, the day sucked. But, um, could you just. Could you just keep talking to me? Just, you know, until I fall asleep."

Sam smiled, knowing this was a sign of her walls coming down and her letting him in a bit more. "Sure, what do you want me to talk about?"

"I don't know…" She yawned. "…anything. How about dogs?" She was already half asleep and didn't realize she'd slipped up and let him know how much she thought about them getting a dog, something he'd suggested before she left for the taskforce.

"Dogs, huh?" He couldn't help but smile. He rambled on about some of the information he'd found in researching what types of dogs were good for condo or apartment living where large yards weren't an option. He'd even found a website about how to name your dog. He'd gone on for about 20 minutes when all he heard on the other end of the phone was the in and out of Andy's breathing. "Andy?" he whispered. The lack of response confirmed she was asleep. "Goodnight. I love you," he said before hanging up.

* * *

Sam and Oliver walked out of Parade the next day and made a beeline for the coffee machine. "So, how are things going?" Oliver asked as he made himself a coffee.

"Good. I'm liking this detective thing more than I thought," Sam responded, looking through the glass wall of the break room and following a certain brunette's ponytail bouncing down the hallway.

"Yeah, not what I meant, brother." Oliver waited until his friend looked his way before giving him a pointed look. They both knew Oliver had been asking about things with Andy.

Sam huffed out a breath as he turned back to the hallway, now only filled with the occasional officer walking by. Oliver stepped back from the coffee machine to let Sam get his own cup. A few more officers filtered into the room, to grab a morning snack or put their lunch in the fridge, as Sam fixed his coffee and finally responded to his friend's question. "My truck's clean," he said, not wanting to openly talk about Andy with other officers around, but also knowing Oliver would understand the meaning.

"Good to hear. A clean truck will make you happy," Oliver replied, smiling into his coffee.

"She does," Sam said, turning to face his friend. When they were alone again, he continued. "I'm just not sure I make her happy."

"You do. Give her time. A lot's happened." They headed out of the break room and walked down the hall.

"I know. And I am. I love her. I'm not giving up this fight," he said, as they stopped in front of the detective's office.

"You need any advice, you know where to come, buddy," Oliver said, motioning to himself with his hand, which earned a chuckle from Sam. "Alright, time to head out. You know you miss patrolling with the rookies!"

Sam did in fact miss patrolling with one rookie in particular, but he wouldn't let on and simply smiled at Oliver's comment. "Who are you partnered with today?" he asked.

"Peck," Oliver replied, giving a small shake of his head. "I swear, punishing her by making her ride with a senior officer punishes the rest of us."

Sam slapped his friend on the back before he walked up the stairs to his office. "Make her buy you lunch."

"Oh, that's a given Sammy," Oliver said, chuckling as he walked away.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Sam did a lot of thinking. He could somewhat easily tell his best friend that he loved Andy, but he hadn't said those three words to _her_ since the day she was holding the bomb and then left for the taskforce. He knew he had to tell Andy to her face what he'd only had the courage to say once he knew she was asleep. He spent the whole day trying to figure out the best way to tell her and still didn't have a clue.

At the end of shift, he caught up with her as she was leaving the station. "Andy!" he called out.

She stopped midway through the parking lot and turned around. "Hey Sam."

He jogged over to her. "Need a ride?" he asked as droplets of rain started to fall around them.

Andy looked up at the sky that moments ago she was about to curse as she dreaded a rainy walk home, and then back at Sam. "That would be great." Her smile lit his heart on fire and he knew he had to find some way to tell her tonight.

They chatted about the cases they worked that day on the drive to her place. Their investigations hadn't crossed paths so they didn't see much of each other. Soon enough they were parked outside Andy's condo. "Thanks for the ride," she said, as she moved to get out of the car.

"Andy, wait." His heart was beating faster than he thought possible as he watched her turn toward him. "Look, there's, uh, something I wanted to talk to you about." Andy leaned back into her seat and waited for him to continue. "That day, when you were holding the bomb..." Sam looked around and questioned if telling her here in his truck in the parking lot of her condo was the right thing to do. He shook off those thoughts, not wanting to wait another minute.

"I'm sorry it took that situation for me to tell you how I feel, but - "

"Sam, it's okay," she interrupted. "I get it, heat of the moment."

"No, that's not what it was. I knew I loved you for a long time. But the words are tough for me...and I guess I always thought I'd have time to work up the courage. I wasn't lying when I said I wish you were in my head. Seeing you with the bomb, the risk of you dying..." Sam took a deep breath. "It was the spark I needed to ignite my courage and realize you had to know. If that was our last day, you had to know."

She was beginning to understand what was running through Sam's mind that day and smiled while she shook her head slightly. "You just had to top me on the most awkward time for it to come out, didn't you?" she teased.

Sam took one of her hands in his, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand, as his face got serious. "The way I felt then, the way I feel now, the way I've felt for a long time hasn't changed. I love you, Andy."

"Sam..." She didn't know what to say. She still loved him, but if she said those words again it was like all was forgotten, and she wasn't sure she was ready for that. She didn't know if she could open herself up to completely trusting him again. And until she did, she couldn't open up her feelings to him.

Seemingly reading her mind, he spoke before she had a chance to. "I don't expect anything in return, but I needed you to know. I needed you to hear it when you weren't holding a bomb. And I'm going to do everything I can to prove to you I mean it." With that, he released her hand.

Andy licked her lips, suddenly feeling that her throat was very dry. She let the silence linger for a moment and smiled at Sam before finally finding her voice. "Thanks for the ride. I'll, um, I'll see you tomorrow," she said, getting out of the truck.

"See you tomorrow, McNally."


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the response to this story – I'm in awe. :) And to all those reviewing as a guest that I can't respond to personally, thank you so much for your reviews.

Also, just to repeat something I noted in my a/n for the first chapter…this story is ALL about Sam wooing Andy. I realize that after S3 Andy also needs to woo Sam to an extent because he's not all to blame, but that's not what this story is about (although it might be a future story). :)

And don't forget to review – they truly brighten my day! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Sam looked around the parade room for Andy and worried when she never showed. He had a sinking feeling thinking about the two times in recent memory when she hadn't shown up for Parade – the day after she left on the taskforce, and the morning after her and Gail were attacked. It wasn't until Frank called out the day's assignments that he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Peck, you're in booking, Epstein with Shaw, Collins with Diaz, and McNally's out sick."

Sam walked back to his desk mentally creating a list of the things he had to get done today. It was a fairly short list. He and Traci had recently cleared a lot of old cases and it felt like the whole detective's department was caught up on any new investigations. If he was able to knock his 'to do' list off quickly, Sam thought he might be able to take a half day and see if Andy needed anything while she was home sick.

It was just after 1pm when Sam finished filing the last report that absolutely needed to get done. He looked across his desk to where Traci was sitting. "Hey Nash?"

"Yeah?" She looked up from the file she was reviewing.

"You mind if I cut out early? Think you can handle it here the rest of the day?" he asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Traci smiled, knowing why he wanted to get out early. She'd never seen him work so quickly through a pile of reports since he joined her as detective. "Yeah, I'm good. If anything urgent comes up I'll call you."

"Great. Thanks. I'll let Frank know I'm leaving," he said, not wasting any time grabbing his jacket and heading toward the door. He stopped when he heard Traci's voice again.

"Tell her I hope she feels better," she said.

Sam's mouth dropped open. Was he that easy to read? He walked out without another word and headed to Frank's office.

* * *

Andy heard a knock on the door and groaned. From her comfortable spot on the couch, the door looked so far away. If she stayed silent, maybe whoever it was would go away. A minute passed before the knocking commenced again, but another groan was cut short when she heard the voice on the other side of the door.

"Andy, it's me," Sam called out.

Even if it was Sam, she was still too tired, too sick, too comfortable to get up. So, she reached out to the coffee table to retrieve her phone and typed a brief message. _Let yourself in._ A minute later, she heard Sam's keys jingling in the door and she watched the door being pushed open.

Sam saw her curled up on the couch, a rainbow colored blanked that matched the pillows wrapped around her, her face barely peeking out of one end. Her hair was thrown into a messy ponytail with strands of hair escaping the elastic and falling over her face. Tissues covered the floor around the full garbage can that sat in front of the couch. A pharmacy worth of cold medicine was strewn across the coffee table.

"Pretty sure I'm dying...and contagious...so you might want...to keep your distance," Andy said, sniffling between every few words.

He knew she was being overdramatic, remembered how she got like this when she was sick, so he simply lifted the bag of goodies he brought. "I'll take my chances. And I came bearing gifts."

She pulled a tissue out of the box lying on her stomach and blew her nose loudly as he walked over to the end of the couch. She bawled up the tissue and tossed it toward the full garbage can, not caring that it rolled down to the others piling up on the floor. "Can't say I didn't warn you."

He put the bag down on the coffee table and began unpacking it. An extra large box of tissues, those especially soft ones filled with lotion. The extra strength cold medicine that always worked for him, although by the spread on the table, he was pretty sure she didn't need it. Two entertainment magazines that he was embarrassed to even bring to the cashier, but he knew would make Andy happy. A large Styrofoam container of chicken noodle soup, which had Andy's eyes perking right up. The stripes on the container told her it was from her favorite cafe. "Did you get..." Before she could finish, Sam pulled a small box from the bag, the mini saltine crackers that were her favorite. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around," she said with a smile.

"You hungry?" he asked. When she nodded, he took the soup into her kitchen, pouring some of it in a bowl and grabbing a spoon. He walked back and handed it to her as she sat up and reached for the crackers. She pulled her feet up so Sam could sit at the end of the couch.

"Thank you," she said with a mouthful of noodles.

"Ever the lady, McNally," he said, chuckling, which caused her to laugh, which then led to a short coughing fit.

"Ugh, I can't breathe. I'm dying, I know it. This is what comes right before death."

"You're not dying," he said with an amused look on his face. He wrapped his hand around her ankle through the blanket and rubbed his thumb in circles.

They sat watching bad daytime talk shows until Andy put the bowl on the coffee table, leaving half the soup still in it. "It was delicious, Sam. I just, my stomach can't handle much of it right now. But thank you for everything." She waved a hand toward his stash of goodies on the coffee table.

"You ready for one more surprise?" he asked.

She narrowed her eyes, wondering what he had up his sleeve. Not waiting for a response, Sam pulled two more items he'd left hidden in the bag - two of Andy's favorite romantic comedies. "Sam, you hate those movies." She was shocked, as he typically made fun of those type of movies and she usually waited for girl's nights to watch them with Traci and Gail.

"But you love them." He held them both up, waiting for her to choose. She pointed to one and he put it in her DVD player before he walked over and picked up the garbage can and collected the pile of tissues on the floor. Andy watched him walk around her condo, as he threw away the trash, cleaned up her bowl of soup and organized the boxes of medicine she'd thrown across the coffee table. He continued rustling around, picking things up and putting them away, things she'd ignored when the cold hit her like a ton of bricks the day before.

By the time he made his way back to the couch, Andy was lying down again as the movie started and he gently picked up her feet, placing them on his lap as he sat down. He made sure the blanket was covering her legs, hesitated for a moment and then took a chance. He had taken it as a positive sign earlier when she hadn't jerked away when his hand circled her ankle, so he slid a hand underneath the blanket and rubbed it gently up and down her calf. His touch made her shiver. "You cold?" he asked.

Andy shook her head. "Don't you have to get back to the station?"

"Nope."

"Oh...okay." So, he'd taken the afternoon off to play doctor and make sure she was okay. A smile that crept on her face was interrupted by a sneeze and she grabbed another tissue, this time one of the soft ones Sam brought. Despite her red nose, raw lips, watery eyes and constant sniffling, he was still here. Her walls weren't just crumbling down; Sam was taking a bulldozer to them. She fell asleep watching the movie, but all she dreamed about was Sam.

* * *

She woke up and saw the credits of the movie rolling, and realized she slept through most of it. She looked over at Sam and saw he was staring at her. "What?" she asked, his staring making her self-conscious.

He couldn't help it. The movie hadn't interested him, so he'd stared at Andy for most of the last hour. He watched as her chest rose and fell as she slept, how her eyelids fluttered, how her mouth hung open slightly so she could breathe despite her stuffed up nose, how she balled up part of the blanket and gripped it in her hand. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her and he felt a tug at his heart. He'd never felt it before Andy, but it was a constant feeling whenever she was around. He mentally kicked himself again for what he'd put her though. "You're beau -

"Don't even say it," she warned as she stared at him like he had three heads. "I have tissues permanently attached to my nose, dark circles under my eyes, and I'm wrapped up in sweats and a blanket."

"Doesn't matter. You're still beautiful."

She blushed and tried to bury herself further under the blanket. "Shut up," she said playfully.

"Want me to put in the other movie?"

She shook her head as she sneezed. He leaned across the coffee table and picked up a box of cold medicine and her bottle of water, handing them both to her. "Here, take another dose," he instructed.

Her mouth opened, but her witty retort was prevented by a coughing fit. When it finally stopped, she swallowed the pills and half the bottle of water. Laying her head back down, she surfed the channels on the TV, finally ending up on reruns of some comedy. They sat like that for a couple hours, Andy sniffling and coughing in between glancing over at Sam, dumbfounded he was still there, watching over her. Sam forced himself to pay attention to the show, so he didn't freak Andy out by staring at her for hours.

Eventually he did glance at her and saw that her eyes were closing. He was afraid that she was forcing herself to stay awake because he was there, so he reluctantly decided he should leave if it meant she'd get her rest. "You should go to bed, get some sleep," he suggested.

She pouted for a moment, but knew he was right. "Can you do something for me?"

"Anything."

"Can you stay? I get it if you can't, but it's just, well, when I fell asleep earlier when you were here, it was..." She didn't know exactly how to explain it, but she'd felt more rested after that nap than she had after eight hours of sleep the night before. "I slept better than I have in a while."

Sam stood up, more excited than he would let on that she wanted him to stay, and offered his hand out to her. "Sure, I can do that." He helped her off the couch and followed her to the bedroom, toeing off his shoes as he watched her get into bed. She pulled the elastic tie out of her hair and let her brown locks float around the pillow as she laid her head down.

She waited for Sam to lie down next to her before she placed her head on his chest and curled into him. He ran a hand through her hair before letting it rest on her back.

"Sorry if I get you sick," she mumbled, already half asleep.

Getting sick was worth it if meant holding her in his arms again. He'd missed this...a lot. Holding her in his arms, feeling her breath on his chest, smelling the vanilla shampoo she used. He stopped himself from grabbing her hand that lie on his chest and intertwining their fingers together. That was too much. He needed to just enjoy that she was curled up to his side.

As she fell asleep, Andy wondered what it meant that she wanted him here so bad. She waged an internal battle, trying to ignore how much she'd missed his arms holding her like this, how much she'd missed falling asleep next to him. She tried to tell herself it was simply because she was sick and the only reason she'd asked him to stay was so she'd get a good night's sleep. That's it. The last thought she had before sleep took over was how much of a liar she was.


	5. Chapter 5

I struggled a bit with this chapter. I had a concept in mind, but had a hard time conveying it while still keeping to the wooing theme. So, bear with me please. :) This chapter's a bit shorter than the rest, but I promise the next chapter makes up for it.

And I can't stop thanking everyone for reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting this story! It gives me even more incentive to get new chapters up so fast. :) Don't forget to keep reviewing. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Sam walked out of an interrogation room exhausted. His shift had ended an hour ago, but he was stuck interrogating an uncooperative suspect. Sam knew it was only a matter of time before the guy talked and he could already tell he was weakening. But to keep going he was going to need a strong dose of caffeine. Walking down the hallway, he was surprised to see Andy still around, but saw she was talking to Traci near the door of the gym, so he didn't approach her.

Unintentionally, he overheard their conversation as he headed to the break room nearby.

"I'd join you, but I've gotta get home to Leo," Traci said.

"It's cool Trace. I'm just sick of using the gym. I need to find a new way to work out before I go crazy," Andy replied.

"We should find a class to sign up for. Drag Gail with us," Traci suggested.

"I tried that with yoga, but with our crazy schedules, it just doesn't work. I'll just have to find another way to spice up my workout."

Sam missed the rest of the conversation as he walked into the break room to get his coffee. When he walked back out, Andy and Traci were gone, so instead of heading directly back to the interrogation room, he took a pit stop at the gym. He watched Andy, in her yoga pants and a tank top, and hair pulled up in a tight ponytail that was bouncing from her movement on the treadmill. She didn't see him at first, jogging to the beat of the music in her ear and staring at the wall in front of her. He waved his hand to get her attention and she pulled the headphones from her ears.

"Hey."

"Still interrogating that idiot?" she asked about the guy she'd seen Dov and Oliver arrest earlier.

He let out a small laugh. "Yeah. Not getting much, but I think he's about to break." He leaned against the treadmill next to hers. "Thought you would've gone home by now?"

"Was going to, but it's about the only time I can get a workout in. And it's too dark to go out running alone now," she said, slightly out of breath from her workout.

"You know, if you get sick of running towards a blank wall, you're welcome to join me. I've been running around the park near my apartment every morning. We could work it around our shifts...before or after," he offered. They'd never worked out together when they were a couple. It had become his time away from Andy, usually early morning workouts with Jerry. Occasionally Frank would join them, but he'd never once invited Andy. It was odd, now that he thought about it, that he'd never asked her join him or suggested they work out together. But this was, hopefully, a new beginning for them and maybe it was another thing that could bring them closer. It would also give them more time to spend together away from the station.

Andy took a swig of water from her bottle before looking over at Sam. "I'd like that...a lot. I've been so bored using the gym, but it's all I've been able to do lately."

"Good. Good. We'll figure out a schedule then." He fidgeted with the coffee in his hands before taking a sip. "Well, I should get back to my suspect. I'll, uh, see you later."

"See you, Sam." She watched him walk out with a smile on her face and put her headphones back in her ears. She had a running partner now and she couldn't think of anyone better than Sam.

* * *

Two days later, Sam and Andy were both on the afternoon shift so they decided to meet for a run in the morning. They'd found a park near her condo that would be easier for her to get to than the place Sam usually ran. He was just pulling up to park near the curb when Andy crossed the street to their meeting spot. "Didn't think you owned shorts," she teased, taking in his appearance as he got out of his truck in dark blue shorts and a grey t-shirt.

He ignored the comment, with the exception of his raised eyebrows, and adjusted his watch. "I typically go for about 30 to 45 minutes, so unless you wanna do something different..."

"No, that's good."

"Okay then. Think you can keep up with me, McNally?" He loved teasing her, even though he had no doubt she'd keep up with him every step of the way.

"You're the one who needs to worry about keeping up with me," she threw back at him as they began jogging.

They fell into a rhythm, finding it easy to keep pace with each other. It probably came from running down suspects with each other for three years. They chatted as they ran around and through the park, and quickly began to work up a sweat. It was exactly the workout she needed, for both body and mind. Maybe it was the fresh air, or the company, but the workouts in the gym just hadn't been cutting it lately.

"Thanks for suggesting this, Sam. It's much better than running in place at the gym alone," she said.

He was about to make a comment about how the station's gym could use some improvements, but his mouth had other ideas. "You never have to be alone, Andy." The meaning of his words much deeper than running or the gym.

She glanced over at him before her eyes focused on her fingers fidgeting with her watch. They still had about 10 minutes left of their run and she couldn't avoid him for that long. They ran in silence for what felt to Andy like an eternity. All that could be heard was their feet hitting the pavement and their heavy breathing. Sam waited patiently to see how Andy would respond. He'd been showing her constantly how he was fighting for them, but it had been weeks since they'd had a deep discussion about their relationship.

"I don't get hurt when I'm alone." Her voice startled him out of the silence, even though her words were quiet, as if she were afraid to speak them. It wasn't being alone that hurt, it was the being left by someone that crushed her time and time again. It hadn't been growing up without a mother that caused her tears over the years. Instead, it was the memory of the moment her mother left and how alone it made her feel. When her dad had chosen the bottle over her, it wasn't the solitude she was left with or her basketball games he missed that hurt, it was the feeling that yet again someone chose something else over her. And when Sam broke up with her, it wasn't the nights spent alone in her condo that bothered her most or the cold empty half of the bed next to her. It was the feeling of her heart being torn to pieces when he told her he couldn't be with her anymore that hurt most.

But for Sam, it was the restless nights he spent alone in his apartment, nights he spent missing Andy, that crushed him. "Sometimes it hurts more when you're alone," he said, as they ran under a small pedestrian bridge in the park.

Andy stopped suddenly, causing Sam to turn around wondering why she wasn't next to him anymore. Even in the dark shadows under the bridge, he could see her eyes filled with emotion. "Why do you do this, Sam?" Her voice was loud and echoed thanks to the cement structure surrounding them. "You act like nothing happened, like you didn't tear my heart to pieces when you left me in the rain. Like you don't understand why I'm having a hard time letting you back in."

"I'm doing everything _but_ act like nothing happened, Andy. Ever since you came back I've worked at making it up to you, to show that you can trust me again. Every. Single. Day. I regret what I did and how I hurt you. I love you. And I'm going to keep showing you how much I love you until you feel safe loving me back again." With each word he spoke, he walked closer to her and his face was now inches from hers.

They were both silent now, staring into each other's eyes waiting for the other to break. Andy's eyes traveled down to his mouth before rising again. Solid hands on his chest, she pushed him back up against the wall as she pressed her lips to his. It was like this magnetic reaction to him telling her how he felt and reminding her he wasn't going to stop fighting this time. She deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands were all over her and he flipped them so her back was pressed against the wall and he was pressed into her. His hand slid over her hip and pushed her leg up so it was wrapped around him.

A dog barking nearby had them breaking apart like they'd touched a hot stove. Breathing heavy from both their run and their impromptu make-out session, Andy let out a small laugh. "We have the most inappropriate timing," she said, a smile gracing her now swollen lips.

Sam braced himself with both hands pressed against the cement on each side of her head, afraid if he let go, he'd melt into the ground. "You could say that."

Hands on his shoulders, her fingers picked at an invisible thread as she stared anywhere but at his face. "I'm scared," she whispered, bringing them back to the conversation they were having before she ravaged him. "My heart can't take being crushed again. I don't know how to feel safe giving my heart away again."

"What can I do? Tell me what to do," he said, bending his knees a bit to force her to look at him.

"I, uh...I don't know. Something's still holding me back, something still scares me." Her fingers were still fidgeting with his shirt as she forced her eyes to stay on his face. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I _want_ there to be an us again. I feel like there already _is_ an us again. I'm just not sure I'm ready to fully be part of an us yet."

"Look, I knew when you came back we wouldn't be jumping right back to where we were, so I'm prepared for the long haul. I'm in this completely, so I'll wait...for whatever's stopping you," he said, moving a hand to grip her waist. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips before continuing. "Okay? We'll move at your pace."

"Thanks." She wished she could tell him what it was that was holding her back from trusting him completely and letting him in again, but she didn't know. Without figuring out what _it_ was, the fear of being completely wrecked if he hurt her again overpowered any other feelings she had. "We should, uh, we should finish our run."

Sam backed up and waited until Andy was ready, and they picked up where they left off, keeping their pace at a slow jog as they warmed down and headed in the direction of Sam's truck.


	6. Chapter 6

I have to admit, I'm really excited for this chapter. I think you'll all enjoy it. :) And we're nearing the end of this story, only one more chapter after this one!

I've received more reviews and alerts on this story than ANY of my others, so thank you! It really means a lot. And thank you in advance for continuing to review. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Sam cornered Andy while she was getting coffee before heading out on patrol with Gail. "McNally," he said, drawing out each syllable of her name in hello.

She turned and smiled as she put a pod in the coffee machine and pressed the start button. "Morning Sam."

"Ready to go out there and make the world a safer place?" His dimples flashing almost had her knocking over the stack of coffee cups as she reached for a second one.

Andy smiled at Sam as Gail poked her head in the room. "You ready, Andy?"

"Yeah, just waiting for my coffee. Meet you at the cruiser?"

"Okay. Oh, and I'm driving, so feel free to promise to text love notes to each other all day." Gail was already walking down the hall by the time Andy realized she was blushing.

"That was..." Andy didn't know how to finish that thought. Embarrassing? Funny? Cute? Very true? She busied herself grabbing the coffee from the machine, before brewing a second cup. She silently handed the first cup over to Sam.

"For me?" he asked, as their fingers brushed against each other when the cup exchanged hands.

She smiled. "I know you need your morning caffeine jolt."

He took a sip and found it just how he liked it. "So, I was thinking..." He shifted between his feet and wondered why he was so nervous about this. "Tomorrow night, I was thinking maybe, you know, if you wanted to, we could go to that new Italian place on West Ave. Maybe catch that new Ben Affleck movie you're dying to see or something afterwards."

"That sounds - crap, I can't."

"No, of course, that's ok. I just thought I'd throw it out there. I know how much you love Italian and - "

"Sam, stop, that's not what I mean. Tomorrow is girls night, and Traci and Gail will kill me if I bail. Can I...Can we...How about another night?" She was excited when the invitation left Sam's mouth and the last thing she wanted was him thinking she didn't want to go out with him. She knew she was being hesitant to give her heart completely to him, but she did want to spend time with him.

"Oh, okay, yeah, girls night. I get it."

"How about day after tomorrow?" she suggested.

The smile that had graced his face when he walked in the room finally returned and Andy couldn't help but smile back. "We can leave from here, unless you want to go home first."

"No, here is fine, then I don't have to rush home." She grabbed her coffee and started to back away toward the door. "I'm looking forward to it."

When Andy slid into the passenger seat in the cruiser, Gail took one look at the sickingly sweet look on her face and snorted. "What'd he do?"

"Huh?"

"Swarek obviously did something because you look like a kid on Christmas morning," Gail said as she pulled their cruiser onto the road.

"Oh, well, he asked me out...like on a date, a real date." Andy couldn't stop smiling as she thought first about Sam asking her and then about what their date would be like. They'd never really done the dating thing. Sure, they'd gone out to restaurants, to the movies, but it was always just something that came up. Neither had ever invited the other one out on an actual date.

Gail rolled her eyes. "Ooooh, a date. I thought you'd just gotten some in the storage room or something hot like that."

"Oh my god. No, Gail!" Andy blushed as she slouched down in her seat.

"Or maybe the couch in the witness room. Much more comfortable," Gail said, a gleam in her eye telling Andy she was talking from experience.

"Thanks. Now I have images of you and Nick on that couch running through my head," Andy replied, earning a loud cackle from her friend. Before Gail could respond, the radio came to life calling them to the scene of an accident.

* * *

The next day, Chris pulled his and Andy's cruiser into the station's parking lot and they both let out a sigh of relief. It had been a long, exhausting day and their shift was finally coming to an end. As they were walking into the station, they made a plan on how to get their paperwork done as quickly as possible. Just as they sat down, Chris got a phone call. "Denise? No, I'm not off yet...No, I can't - " As he was interrupted by Denise, Chris looked at Andy with pleading eyes.

"No," she whispered. "You are _not_ leaving me with this paperwork!"

Chris was quiet, listening to his son's mother rant about how he'd come home late every night that week and how she needed him, how their son needed him. "Fine. Fine, Denise! Look, I'll be there, okay. Goodbye."

"Chris," Andy whined.

"Andy, I'm sorry. I've gotta go. She's been threatening all week to take him back to Timmins. I can't give her another reason to want to. I'm sorry." He would do anything for his friends, including Andy, but this was his son he was talking about. If he was late one more night, he just knew Denise would get in her car with their son and head back to Timmins. "I'll make it up to you. I swear."

"Go," Andy said with a wave of her hand. "Give him a kiss from Aunt Andy."

"Thank you," he said, hugging her. "I really am sorry."

Andy shook her head as she watched Chris run toward the locker room. Settling into her chair, she started typing away at the computer, writing their reports.

An hour later, Andy printed off the last report she had to complete, reviewed it, signed it and added it to the huge pile of reports she had to file. She glanced at her watch and groaned in frustration just as Sam walked by her desk. "Something wrong, McNally?"

She stood up, gathering her pile of reports in her arms. "I'm supposed to meet Traci and Gail at The Penny for girls night, and I'm already late, but I still have all these reports to file. It's gonna take me forever and they're gonna be pissed. They told me I have six months of girls nights to catch up on and - " She stopped suddenly when Sam's hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"Breath." He'd suggest she put the filing off until tomorrow, but Frank had gone on a tirade just that morning about not procrastinating when it came to finishing and filing reports. His only plans for the night included left over takeout and the hockey game, so he came up with an idea. "Give these to me," he said, placing his hands on the reports she held.

"Sam, Frank will have me on desk duty for a month if I don't finish this before I leave," she replied, still gripping the papers in her hands.

"Only if they don't get filed. Like I said, give them to me." He tugged the files out of her hand as she stood there, mouth hanging slightly open in surprise. "I have no plans. I'll file them, so you can get to girls night."

"Are you sure? You hate filing reports."

"Yes, I'm sure. Now go before I change my mind."

She started to walk around him, but stopped and put her hand on his arm, enjoying the warmth of his skin on her fingers. "Thank you." She stood on her tip toes and placed a kiss on his cheek before heading to the locker room.

When she was gone, Sam turned around to find Oliver staring at him with a smug look on his face. "Shut up," Sam muttered before walking to the file room. Oliver simply chuckled at the scene he just witnessed.

* * *

The next day went by quickly for Andy because her and Nick were kept busy responding to call after call. She was glad she didn't have much time to look at the clock or worry about her date with Sam because during the times she did think about it, she instantly got nervous. She knew it was just her and Sam, and it wasn't like it would be the first time they'd be hanging out together. But she also had this feeling that tonight was going to be something special.

When Andy and Nick finally got back to the station, they sped through their reports so Andy would have plenty of time to change. She hadn't seen Sam around, so when she finished showering and was nearly ready, she texted him to see where he was. She was finishing her makeup when there was a knock at the locker room door a moment before it opened.

She didn't have to look up to know it was Sam, but she did anyway and her heart stopped when she realized how seriously he was taking their date. He'd gone all out and dressed up in blank pants and a dark blue button-down shirt. He looked so handsome and Andy had a fleeting thought of tearing the shirt off of him right then and there. She turned her head quickly toward her locker, so her hair could cover her blushing cheeks.

Sam took one look at Andy, who was dressed in a short red sleeveless dress that hugged her body, and lost the ability to speak. "Uh…wow…you…um…I don't want to rush you." He wasn't sure where his sudden nervousness was coming from. "You texted though, so – "

"It's fine, Sam. I'm ready," she said, smiling shyly. She closed her locker and walked over to Sam, taking his outstretched hand in hers.

"Let's go then." He matched her smile with one of his own as they held hands walking to his truck.

By the time they arrived at the restaurant, any nervousness either of them had was gone. Andy felt at ease with Sam and her heart couldn't help but flutter when he pulled her chair out for her as the hostess brought them to a table.

They fell into easy conversation and Andy laughed harder than she had in a while when Sam told stories about his rookie year with Oliver, Jerry, Frank and Noelle. The close knit bond the five of them had reminded Andy a lot of her and her friends. "It's like the rookie curse. You're meant to be stupid," she said, her cheeks hurting from all the laughter.

"Yeah, well, next time Frank tries to put you on desk duty, just blackmail him with the story about his first interrogation." Sam chuckled and knew Frank would make him pay for sharing that little bit of information, but he didn't care because it brought a smile to Andy's face.

When dinner was over, Sam let Andy pick the movie and as the previews came on, he felt her lean into him over the armrest and he put an arm around her shoulders to bring her closer. When her hand reached into the bag of popcorn on his lap, he couldn't help but whisper in her ear. "You just wanted to get closer to the popcorn."

She looked up at him and tried to keep her giggling quiet. She leaned up quickly and put a chaste kiss on his lips. Letting her mouth hover near his cheek, she teased him back. "It's _really_ good popcorn." She laid her head on his shoulder as the movie began.

They chatted about the movie all the way back to her condo. "Do you want to come up?" she asked when they were parked outside her building. It felt odd to ask that, but Andy was getting a vibe off of Sam that he needed an invitation to join her inside. Without hesitation Sam nodded and they headed to her condo.

Andy toed off her shoes the moment she walked in the door and headed to the fridge. "You want a beer?"

"Sure."

When she closed the door of the fridge with two bottles in her hand, Sam was standing inches from her, causing her to stumble back. He reached out and gripped her arm to catch her, which ended up making her collide into his chest. They stared into each other's eyes, both hesitant to make the first move. Sam's eyes floated down to her mouth and back up to her eyes. Slowly moving his hands, he placed them on the two bottles Andy held and their fingers overlapped briefly before he pulled them from her hands and placed them on the counter beside them.

She stretched her hands flat across his chest as he placed his hands on either side of her face. His hands, still cold from the beer bottles, sent a shiver through her body. Their eyes remained glued to each other as Sam brought his lips closer to hers; their eyelids fluttering shut only when their lips were as close as they could get without actually touching. The instant he crushed his lips to hers, their hands began roaming each other's bodies.

They'd been making out in Andy's kitchen for several minutes before Sam forced himself to pull back. If he kept kissing her, he wouldn't be able to stop. As it was, he was already thinking about the ice cold shower he was going to have to take when he got home. But he hadn't been able to resist. Seeing her in the sexy dress, feeling her warm skin brush against him as they walked to and from the restaurant and the theater and his truck, breathing in her scent, he just had to give himself a taste of her. She was intoxicating.

Andy had her hands pressed against his back, keeping him flush against her despite the fact she felt him trying to pull away. She might not be ready to open her heart completely to him yet, but she was getting there and she was ready to take what she felt was the next step. "Stay." She searched his eyes with her own as she waited for his response.

"You sure?" he asked. She nodded her head as she smiled.

Sam didn't have to be asked twice. His hands framed the sides of her face again as he brought his lips back to hers. Her hands roamed his body, tugging at the buttons of his shirt before pushing it off his shoulders and down his arms as they stumbled toward the bedroom. Sam found the zipper on the back of Andy's dress and quickly pushed the dress off her shoulders until it fell to the floor. He backed her up toward the bed as she fumbled with the button of his pants. Finally adding them to the trail of clothes across the floor, he gently lowered them both to her bed and trailed kisses along her jaw. As they made love, Andy couldn't help but feel like it was the first time all over again…heavenly.

* * *

Sam woke up the next morning feeling a heavy weight on his chest. His eyes flew open, forgetting for a moment where he was. It had been so long since he'd woken up with Andy lying on top of him, their legs tangled together. He couldn't help but brush a strand of hair off her face and trail his fingers down her arm that was strewn across him. She shifted her body, stretching her legs and tilting her head toward his face. She mumbled something that sounded roughly like "Good morning," but he wasn't entirely sure.

"Sorry I woke you," he said, his fingers trailing up and down her back now.

"S'ok. You have to go to work?" She was so used to him jumping out of bed when he spent the night with her, she expected him to leave. She figured at least if she didn't fully wake up, she could roll over and fall back to sleep once he left.

"Nope."

And that had her head bouncing up and her eyes opening wide. "What?"

"I switched to the afternoon shift today. I'm all yours this morning."

"Oh...I...you usually...um...good." She tried to mask her surprise by kissing him. "I can make coffee...once my body wakes up," she said with a small laugh.

"Anything you want. I'm not going anywhere."

She laid her head down on his chest and her fingers drew random shapes across it. It was only when her fingers stilled that Sam realized she'd fallen back to sleep. He pulled the comforter up over her shoulders and placed a light kiss on the top of her head.

It was the ringing of a cell phone - his, hers, he couldn't tell - that made Sam realize he'd fallen back to sleep too. Andy woke up moments after him, scrunching her nose as she looked up at him. "Who's phone?"

"Don't know. Don't care."

"It's probably a sign we should get up," she said.

"Maybe."

She shifted so she could prop her head up on her hand and look down at Sam. She felt the warmth of Sam's hand tracing patterns up and down her back, and she smiled.

Sam's eyes searched Andy's face as he tried to figure out what she was thinking. "What?"

She pressed her lips against Sam's before responding. "I'm happy." His mouth opened to profess his love for her again and tell her how all he wanted to do was make her happy, but the rumbling of her stomach caused a chuckle to come out instead. "Okay, so maybe I could be even happier with some breakfast."

"Let's see what's in that fridge of yours," he replied.

She rolled off him and out of bed so she could throw on some clothes, as Sam plucked his boxers off the floor and put them on. He followed her to the kitchen and watched as she made a beeline for the coffee pot. "You start the coffee and I'll cook us breakfast," he suggested.

"You don't have to. I can cook something for us," Andy offered.

"I want to."

Andy started the coffee and looked at Sam, who was rummaging through her pots and pans. "Sam, you don't have to do all this."

The tone of her voice told him she meant more than just cooking breakfast. "I _want_ to, Andy. I promised you I'd fight for us and I won't break my promise twice." He walked over to her and kissed her. "Let me."

Andy could only smile, and took a seat on a stool at the kitchen island as she watched Sam grab items from her fridge and work at the stove. It should have surprised her that he still knew his way around her kitchen as well as his own, but instead she was comforted by the fact he knew her so well. What she was surprised at, however, was that he was still here and it was nearly 10am. He hadn't jumped out of bed and rushed off as soon as daylight filtered through the windows; something she'd learned to live with all those months ago when he was regularly spending the night with her. She didn't know what to make of it, that he'd changed, that he was here.

It wasn't until Sam placed a steaming hot mug of coffee in front of her that she realized she'd gotten lost in her thoughts. "Everything okay?" he asked, eyes narrowing in concern.

Maybe something in both of them changed after all those months apart, and just maybe those changes were what would make them last this time. Maybe those changes could give them a happily ever after. She smiled as she gripped her coffee in both hands and inhaled the wonderful scents filling her kitchen. "Everything's perfect."


	7. Chapter 7

We've come to the final chapter of this story. I've really been overwhelmed with the response, so thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting! And even though this is the last chapter, please don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you think. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Andy walked into her condo and dropped her bag, quickly pulling out the envelope Sam had given her right before he left the station a few minutes before her. He'd told her to wait until she got home to read it and as she sat in Chris' car while he drove her home, she was itching to tear it open. She couldn't imagine what was inside and part of her was terrified.

She sat down on the couch, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees as she stared at the long white envelope she held in her hands. Her heart started beating rapidly as she was suddenly too scared to do anything but stare at Sam's handwriting on the outside of the envelope that simply said "Andy."

At some point after returning from the taskforce, she finally admitted to herself that she was still truly, madly, deeply in love with Sam, but she hadn't told him yet. Their date, and the morning after, had been wonderful. Over the last few weeks they'd started opening up to each other more and talking. The third time he slept over – and, again, didn't flee at the first light peeking through the windows – she actually admitted to him how happy it made her that he wasn't rushing out in the morning anymore.

She'd almost told him she loved him a few times, but second-guessed herself, wondering if she was going to say it simply for the sake of saying it or if she was really ready to go full-steam ahead into their revived relationship. But now, she wondered if she'd waited too long, fought this internal debate for too long. Maybe what she held in her hands was a goodbye note. Sam telling her she waited too long. Maybe he was moving on. She took a deep breath and slowly slid her finger under the flap on the back of the envelope. With a deep breath, she pulled out the letter and unfolded it.

At first glance, it looked like the evaluation Sam had given her before the tie cutting ceremony at the end of her first year on the job. She wondered why he was giving her this again until she noticed the date, today's date. That's when she realized it wasn't an official evaluation because there was no official stamp and the place where Frank's signature would be was empty.

She saw a long list of bullet points and began to read what Sam had written. _You, Andy McNally, have grown and developed as a cop, and while I'd like to think it's due, in part, to your fantastic Training Officer, truthfully it's because you're smart and have great instincts._ She smirked a bit at Sam's 'fantastic training officer' comment, considering _he_ was her training officer, but she couldn't wait to read more.

It was a timeline of things she'd done, with Sam pointing out the most recent things first. It wasn't until the fourth bulleted item that tears formed in her eyes at the thought of what could have happened if she hadn't kept fighting for what she believed in. _If it wasn't for your determination when Epstein shot the kid in the convenience store, he may have been put on trial for murder. But it was you (and Nash) who forced Jerry to keep investigating the scene. You who found the kid's bullet in the wall, and you who helped determine there was a second kid involved in the robbery. You didn't back down when you knew in your gut you were right, and that's what a good cop does._

Andy kept reading, surprised at some of what Sam had written. He'd often commented on the good job she'd done on a case, but he rarely spoke in detail about it. Sometimes she thought maybe it was just a training officer's positive reinforcement, even if she hadn't done a fantastic job and even if he wasn't her TO anymore.

After a few more bullet points, Andy took a deep breath as Sam brought back some horrible memories of him being kidnapped by Jamie Brennan. _You risked your career to save a fellow officer. Admitting to Frank you'd been with me at my undercover apartment took guts. But doing that is likely what saved my life. Your insight into Brennan and what he said to you is what led everyone to his farmhouse and to me. You're unselfish to a fault at times, but it helps you save lives._

Maybe she was naive at the time, but as Andy thought back on it, she never even thought about how admitting everything to Frank could risk her career. She'd known he'd be pissed, but all she could think about was making sure Sam was okay and if telling anyone any detail, no matter how minuscule, could help save him, she would do it. She _had_ risked her career, but Sam was more important to her, had always been more important. The fear of him dying at the hands of Brennan had shaken her to her core.

She continued reading and as she came across one particular bullet point, Andy knew this was one Sam had trouble with. Not because he doubted what he wrote, but because of how he left her while investigating the Sophie Lewis/Zoe Martinelli case. _You trusted your instincts even when no one else wanted to believe you and stuck with it to find out who killed a former rookie. It takes a strong person to not let others cloud their judgment and do what you think is right. And despite others not making it easy for you, you survived…in more ways than one._

He went on, writing about how great she was undercover, mentioning the time she went under at The Vestibule and got the head waitress to trust her, as well as the time they played Gabe and Edie on a major drug bust. He even briefly mentioned how being chosen for Project Dakota proved what a great undercover asset she was. Andy knew it pained him to bring up anything regarding the taskforce that caused her to be gone for six months. The fact that he brought it up here, despite that, warmed her heart.

She continued reading, realizing there were still several bulleted items left on the list. _You are a tough copper, proven over and over, but maybe most when you were shot. You were shot, bruised a couple ribs, but still insisted on following the case through. Determined to get justice for the girl that died, by figuring out what happened, you did what many of us were maybe too busy to do that day. You listened, you comforted the girl's friend and that led us to the killer. When no one would have blamed you if you simply went home, you were strong enough to keep fighting. Fighting for the people out there we serve to protect. It's that lion's heart of yours, that and your determination and strong will, that make you a great cop._

She read through the next few items, where Sam called her courageous, reliable, ambitious, confident and compassionate. She was blushing at all the compliments he was handing out through this mock evaluation.

As she read the last bulleted item, she couldn't help but smile. _Last but not least, your first day on the job you didn't let a cocky undercover cop prevent you from doing your job. You stuck with it, persevered and found the suspect. And, of course, taking me down on your first day makes you an AWESOME cop._ She let out a small laugh before her eyes scanned up and down the page again trying to comprehend what Sam had done.

She couldn't believe he'd taken the time to write this all out, to think back over the last three years and compile this list. She always figured he could more easily rattle off all the times she'd made a mistake or gotten into trouble, but this was a long list of all the good she'd done.

It suddenly hit her that this was _it_. The missing piece. The something that had been holding her back. She knew from Sam's actions how much he thought of her as a girlfriend, how much he loved her, but deep down she had to know he thought she was a good cop too. His comment all those months ago about how he shouldn't have trusted a rookie's instincts, _her_ instincts, had left a deep hole in her heart. When Sam apologized for saying that, she thought she'd gotten past it. But it had unknowingly been a silent thought lingering in her head and her heart. Because if he couldn't trust her instincts professionally, how could he trust her at all? However, the "evaluation" showed how much he thought of her as a cop. All the pieces had fallen into place and Andy knew what she had to do.

She dropped the letter on her coffee table and ran out of her condo. She jumped in a cab as she called one of Sam's favorite take-out places. She hopped out just long enough to pick up the food she ordered before she had the cab take her to Sam's apartment. She knocked on his door, bouncing from one foot to the other while she waited for the door to open.

"Andy?" He was surprised to see her. He known she'd probably tear open the envelope he gave her the moment she got home and had been waiting for his phone to ring, but never expected to see her standing on his doorstep.

"Yes." A big toothy grin fell across her face as she looked at his bewildered expression. "Yes. Yes. Yes." She couldn't help but repeat the word over and over.

"Yes?" He still wasn't catching on to what she was so excited about.

She rolled her eyes, but the smile remained plastered on her face. "Yes. As in, you're sorry. I'm sorry. Let's forget that we're sorry. Stop keeping score. I don't want to waste any more time. I love you."

A grin finally spread across Sam's face, his dimples on full display as he understood that she was responding to his plea all those months ago to give him a chance, to give them a chance. "Yeah?" She nodded her head vigorously. "Well, we should probably stop standing on my doorstep then," he said, opening the door wider and waving her inside.

As she walked through the doorway, she held up the large bag she carried. "I brought dinner."

"My favorite," he said, inhaling the delicious smell of the food.

"I know."

She unloaded the bag of food, placing the Chinese take-out containers on the coffee table, while Sam brought plates and two beers from the kitchen. She waited until he piled his plate with food and they were both settled on the couch before bringing up a topic that had been on her mind. "Can I ask you something?" she asked sheepishly.

"Anything."

"Why did you wait? It was six months...and even longer 'till we got to this point," she said.

Sam almost dropped the beer he'd picked up. If he came up with a million questions he thought she'd ask, that was not one of them. "Well..."

"I mean, I'm glad you did, really glad you had faith in us. I just..."

He ran a hand over his face, giving himself an extra moment to think. "If I hadn't gotten your letter, I'm not sure I would have," he admitted.

"Sam...I'm sorry."

"Stop. When you came back, we agreed. No more apologies about what happened." It was true. It was a brief conversation where he explained why he acted the way he did; she told him why she left. There were enough 'I'm sorry's' in that conversation for a lifetime. "Look, knowing you would've come to The Penny that night, that's why I waited. You gave me hope. I wanted to give us that chance you were willing to give me that night."

Her lips curved into a smile. She remembered arguing with Nick after she wrote the letter to Sam. She hadn't been able to speak to Sam before she went undercover, but not knowing how long she'd be gone, she had to tell him something. So, she wrote a letter. She told him Luke offered her a spot on the taskforce and after fighting for it earlier that day she couldn't turn it down. Then she told him she would've gotten that drink. It was short and simple, but Nick was worried about breaking the rules. Andy on the other hand felt like she had more to lose by not sending it, and convinced Nick she would take complete responsibility if anyone found out. The next day she'd taken two cabs across the city and walked another 10 blocks before dropping her letter in a mailbox on the street. There was no way Sam would find out where she was – she knew way too many rules would end up being broken if that happened - and there was no chance anyone had followed her.

"Thank you for waiting." Her eyes found his so he could see how sincere she was and how she truly wanted this to work between them. "Thank you for fighting for us."

"Can I ask you something now?" he asked.

"Sure."

"A few weeks ago you said something was holding you back. What changed?"

She played with the food on her plate, before looking back up at him. "I never stopped loving you, and I know you love me. But there was something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Tonight, when I read your evaluation of me as a cop, I realized what that something was. You used to tell me all the time what a great copper I was. But you stopped, worrying about the decisions I was making and telling me you couldn't trust my instincts, shouldn't be listening to a rookie's instincts." She held her hand up when Sam opened his mouth. She had to get this out so he would understand. "I know you told me that was in the heat of the moment, but I don't think I truly believed that...until I read your evaluation. And if everything you said in it is true, then I know you think I'm a good cop."

"I do," he said when she finally paused. "You're a great cop, Andy."

"And that's it. Personally, I knew you loved me, but professionally, I needed to know you thought I was a good cop too. Cause what you think matters to me...a lot. I needed to know you could trust me both personally _and_ professionally."

"I'm sorry you ever had to question it," he said. When she quirked her eyebrows at his words, he'd realized he'd used the 's' word. They really never were going to stop apologizing to each other.

"Can we just, you know, make sure we talk? I mean, before…we talked about what to get for dinner or what happened at work, but we never _really_ talked...you know, about the important stuff. Can we try?" She looked at him shyly as she poked at the food on her plate.

"Talking is good. We can do that," he promised. They both knew if they were going to work this time, they had to talk. They couldn't keep their feelings bottled up.

"Sam?"

"Hmm?" he responded with a mouth full of food.

"One more thing. Um…Can we really get a dog?"

The excitement displayed by the grin on her face caused Sam to shake his head in happy disbelief. This girl. How could she still not realize he'd do anything for her?

"Yeah, we can get a dog."

* * *

The End.

A/N: Due to the overwhelming response to this story and many requests for this, I'm planning to write a companion piece to this story: The Wooing of Sam Swarek. So, if anyone has any suggestions/ideas for how Andy should woo Sam, let me know! :)


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